$970,000 in Big Sky Film Grant Funding Awarded to 22 Filmed-in-Montana Productions

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that 22 film creations will share $970,000 in grant funding to film on-location productions across the state. The grant funding is awarded through Commerce’s Big Sky Film Grant Program.

“We estimate that these 22 film projects will spend approximately $13.2 million in Montana. Additionally, these productions will help boost the economies of many rural Montana communities, including Arlee, Circle, Deer Lodge, Pray and White Sulphur Springs,” said Commerce Director Marta Bertoglio.

A total of 124 applicants requested more than $13 million in grant dollars this year through the competitive BSFG for fiscal year 2025. The grants are awarded to eligible production projects in four different categories: Feature Film and TV; Feature Film and TV — Resident Only; Short-Form Content; and Short-Form Content — Resident Only.

The following projects will receive Big Sky Film Grant funding:

Feature Film and Television Grants

• CNB Films, LLC will receive $35,000 for the production of “Ride or Die.”

• Flint Film, LLC will receive $75,000 for the production of “Flint.”

• Renaissance Motion Pictures, LLC will receive $75,000 for the production of “High Moon at Blackwood.”

• Seth Woodhouse Film, LLC will receive $75,000 for the production of “Pinos.”

• Sera Barbieri will receive $75,000 for the production of “Snow in July.”

Feature Film and Television — Resident-Only Grants

• Dark Reverie, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of “Dark Projections.”

• Frederick Wayne Welch, LLC will receive $30,000 for the production of “It Came from the Well.”

• Ladder 5 Films Inc. will receive $75,000 for the production of “Running Eagle.”

• Magic Antler Pictures, LLC will receive $20,000 for the production of “Spoon River.”

• Rhythm Productions, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of “Being Bighorn.”

• Teen Rooster, LLC will receive $75,000 for the production of “Teen Angel.”

Short-Form Content Grants

• Bar-Oh-W Films, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of “Tartalo.”

• For Her Films, LLC will receive $40,000 for the production of “Every Little Thing.”

• If Dogs Run Free Films will receive $25,000 for the production of “Azotus.”

• Julia Corcoran will receive $50,000 for the production of “Squirrel.”

• The Lodge Approach will receive $25,000 for the production of “Beneath the Surface.”

Short-Form Content — Resident-Only Grants

• 4:08 Productions will receive $10,000 for the production of “The Montana Sessions.”

• Beartooth Resource Conservation and Development Area Inc. will receive $10,000 for the production of “Powering Montana: Stories of Resilience, Community and Sustaining Life on the Land We Love.”

• Flow Through Films, LLC will receive $40,000 for the production of “Chuy.”

• Paradise Creative, LLC will receive $20,000 for the production of “Crosswind.”

• Skyline Sports, LLC will receive $40,000 for the production of “Desert Horse.”

• Write Good Branding, LLC will receive $25,000 for the production of “Polly and Dolly (and Marla).”

Last year, Rare Antiquities, LLC received a $35,000 Big Sky Film Grant to complete the production of “The Blistering, Blundering West,” a silent film in the vein of Buster Keaton. Filmed entirely in Montana over four days and employing 26 local residents as cast and crew members, the production positively impacted the economies in the Virgina City, Ruby Valley and Paradise Valley areas.

“Local talent in this state is grossly unsung. From the grips to the location managers and the department heads, every person I interacted with was not only highly capable and efficient, but they were so warm and inviting. Without them, there would be no film,” said Director Quinton Buxton.

In the 2023 Montana Legislative Session, Senate Bill 540 revised laws related to state-funded tourism promotion to require a specific allocation of the Lodging Facility Use Tax for Montana-based film grants. The Montana Department of Commerce Film Office is funded by an allocation of the Lodging Facility Use Tax, commonly known as the “bed tax.”

Since the BSFG Program started, over 400 film projects have received nearly $14 million of grant funding to assist with those productions. For more information about the grant, visit commerce.mt.gov.